Every time I see race issues concerning kids- I weep- every single time!
I just read another article about an African American Kid who was killed because… there are varying accounts- Y’all know what I think.
I wept when I read the article– I can’t stop the tears pouring now-
I have to say that with all the negative press we get in South Africa- can I dare to say that we at least don’t have to worry about our sons being gunned down because of the colour of their skin?
But my thoughts below are not about race at all- they’re about what we as parents, regardless of colour, have to war against and for as we raise our precious babies.
I watch my children and their gorgeous hair and delicious skin and I love them as I see all the incredible women (regardless of colour) I’m connected to adore their kids.
I watch my girlfriends (regardless of colour) hold their grown kids tight as though wishing to never let them go-
I watch my fellow mom-friends (regardless of colour) look at their growing-too-fast toddlers as if to stay: “Wherever you go, take me with You.”
My favourite posts on Social Media are of parents (regardless of colour) loving their kids as if LOVE in their world is spelt using their children’s names.
There are realities about how our children (regardless of colour) will be treated- the fact is the world won’t ever love them as much as we do-
It will try and murder our babies from the inside regardless of what colour they are-
Our job as moms and dads is to hold them super tight and tell them everyday how AWESOME they are!
Our place in their lives is to build Castles of Confidence in them that nothing can tear down.
As a black woman, because of what I’d been through, I used to think that any child of mine would have it really tough in this world-
But I’ve seen my fellow moms, of all races, battle with patching up wounds the world and life often inflicts on their children- and I know we are all in this together.
Race issues are real.
But so are issues that affect all humanity: rejection, loneliness, abandonment…
No one will ever love our babies as we do-
May we build a generation of children who Know WHO they are, WHOSE they are and are utterly aware of the incredible, invincible stuff they’re made of.
Every child is awesome- the world won’t ever tell our kids that- It’s our Job to tell them over and over and over until it’s so ingrained in who they are that it’ll be impossible for them to believe anything else.
That’s my prayer for all of us parents because Regardless of race- when it comes to our babies we’re in this together.
– Hannah Viviers is the Creator and Host of the Dream BIG TV Show